Beach Streets returns, this time Uptown
The popular street event that hasn’t happened since May 2023 is returning Saturday, Nov. 9 and will include a Veterans Recognition Ceremony.
Long Beach’s Beach Streets event is returning next month and will be combined with a Veterans Day celebration, city officials announced.
The event will see the northbound side of Atlantic from South Street to Artesia Boulevard closed to vehicle traffic. In addition, all of Artesia from that intersection over to Cherry Avenue will be open to people walking, riding bikes or otherwise enjoying the car-free space.
It’s also a chance to explore the nearly-finished Great Boulevard project on Artesia that began construction in February 2023 and will improve traffic and pedestrian safety, create a separated bike route and plant more than 400 trees in the community along the way.
“Beach Streets is a wonderful opportunity for our community to come together, enjoy our beautiful city and celebrate sustainable living,” Mayor Rex Richardson said in a news release. “This year, we are especially honored to return to Uptown, where Beach Streets began, and also recognize and celebrate our veterans. I invite the community to join us as we transform our streets into a vibrant space for both connection and reflection.”
Like always there will be entertainment hubs along the route, including at the Michelle Obama Library, and a Kids Zone at Houghton Park, where the Veterans Hub will give residents the chance to pay their respects to local veterans.
There will also be live music, food trucks, an Aquarium on Wheels from the Aquarium of the Pacific, an obstacle course and a skate zone at the Houghton Park skate park.
“It is a privilege to welcome the community to this year’s Beach Streets Uptown and Veterans Day Celebration,” Ninth District Council member Dr. Joni Ricks-Oddie said in a news release. “This event not only showcases the vibrant spirit of our neighborhoods but also celebrates over $40 million investment in the Artesia Great Boulevard Project.”
The event is built to encourage walking, biking and getting around town without a car, so it's fitting to hold Beach Streets this year on a street that's getting some much needed safety updates.
Beach Streets will take place Saturday, Nov. 9 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Veterans Recognition Ceremony will take place at 2 p.m. at Houghton Park.
